GP 2010 R2 – Substitute Fields for Email

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This is going to be another interesting feature. Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP announces another feature added to GP 2010 R2, which is Substitute Fields for Email.

Of course, this is going to be a boon to End Users, but let me also add that this would not be possible till someone knows about how to browse thru’ and learn GP Fields and the way it is designed. Which puts them in front of a whole new training session.

The very concept of Resource Descriptions in GP is to educate Users to learn about GP Tables, Forms, Windows & Fields, so that they can do some on-spot Reporting or Windows modification. Having said that, not all End-Users are going to be interested in this learning experience, especially when they are suppose to concentrate on their day-to-day tasks.

Nonetheless, this is going to be one heck of a feature to look at.

VAIDY

Issues with GP 2010 SP1 DYNAMICS.DIC – David Musgrave

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David informs us about a very strange but critical issue that’s been faced by developers when using GP 2010 SP1 DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary.

This is really critical to be informed about, so all Dex Developers please make sure that you read this post from David, as it also mentions some workaround till a proper fix is released.

Read it here: Unknown identifier ‘DYNAMICS’ or other Constant with GP 2010 SP1.

VAIDY

Microsoft Dynamics Top Influential Person 2011 – Vote Now

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This is the best time for you to stand by the person whom you think is the most influential person in Microsoft Dynamics. This year’s poll is running on. Visit this site and cast your vote now.

Link: 2011 TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL MICROSOFT DYNAMICS PEOPLE.

VAIDY

Microsoft Dexterity 2010 R2 – Enhancements

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David sums up Dexterity 2010 R2 enhancements and gives us a glimpse of how it’s going to be, referring to Feature of the Day posts from Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Pretty exciting to learn these new features, obviously.

VAIDY

Dexterity 2010 R2 Supports Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS)

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That’s a GREAT GREAT news from Microsoft about Dexterity. Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP blog informs us that Dexterity 2010 (v11) R2 will support Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS).

What this means? Dexterity supported only Microsoft Visual SourceSafe (fondly called VSS), which has been used under discontinued support from Microsoft. Those who wants to streamline Dexterity Development on their organizations, found it very difficult to use something which is not supported by Microsoft but Dexterity.

Microsoft introduced Team Foundation Server (TFS) which is advanced and very easy to use and maintain. With Dexterity 2010 R2 release, the biggest gap in Dexterity Development history is now filled.

VAIDY

List of Attractive BI Technologies from Microsoft

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This was my second session today at Tech-Ed 2011 Middle East. Very interesting and demos were extremely useful to understand all the BI Technologies listed.

Now what exactly are we talking about? The session was all about listing the most promising (some are already existing) BI Tools running on top of either OR all of the following: SQL Server 2008 R2, SharePoint 2010, Silverlight.

The following are the list:


  1. SharePoint Excel Services
  2. PowerPivot Galleries
  3. PerformancePoint (Dashboards, Scorecards & KPIs)
  4. PowerPivot for SharePoint
  5. Pivot Tool – based on Silverlight
  6. Bing Data Connector – To show geospatial data
  7. SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services (Report Builder)


Each of them will take it’s own time to allow user to understand the basics. I let my readers to BING or GOOGLE these terminologies and learn it.

But, the above list is what Microsoft concentrates more on currently to let users create the most attractive BI for them.

Enjoy.

VAIDY

Top 10 Challenges on Delivering BI to the Masses at Microsoft

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This was my first session today at Tech-Ed 2011 Middle East. The session titled “Delivering BI to the masses at Microsoft using Consolidated Business Intelligence (CBI) – Top 10 Challenges“.

The approach taken by Microsoft is fairly unusual.


Leave the BI Design to End-Users (or designated Power End Users) and simultaneously build EDW (Enterprise Data Warehouse). Once the design & EDW is ready, use following tools to achieve this CBI Model:

Microsoft Office, SharePoint 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2, Silverlight Technology.

CBI basically means one Single Enterprise Report Catalog. It’s then delivered as a SharePoint based BI Portal. Microsoft IT hosts BI with Reporting Services, PPS, etc, BUT Power End Users design and publish Reports on to this Portal. There are certain restrictions in terms of how many users being allowed to publish these reports for their own Team/Department/Division.

Top 10 Questions which Microsoft asked themselves before CBI (and of course everyone of us to ask ourselves as well):

1. IT Cost too much to implement this BI Catalog. What to do first? EDW or BI Reporting Catalog?
1.1. Allow End Users to publish all their ideas on a Not-So-Clean EDW Data.
1.2. Clean EDW and keep EDW ready.

2. How do you get the First Sponsorship?
2.1. Push and Pull Approach
2.2. Create a Cool Demo

3. How do you architect with big Holistic Enterprise Vision?

4. How do we implement seamless security across layers?

5. Who should create BI and show we actually give control of the report catalog to business and enable self-serviced BI?

6. Can we implement ZERO footprint deployment for masses using SharePoint?

7. What about regional deployment and scalability?

8. What front end tools to BI publishers use and how do you integrate various tools?

9. How do you evangelize and achieve enterprise adoption?

10. How do you achieve high Customer Satisfaction?
10.1. Customer Empathy
10.2. Maintain Customer Relationship
10.3. Improve, Improve & just Improve

Until next post on Tech-Ed from me.

VAIDY

Project Crescent – Beyond SSRS Reporting Tool

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I must be following SQL Server Reporting Services Team Blog for loads of information and all that “What’s Coming Up?”.

Attending an evening session in Tech-Ed 2011 Middle East, and this is what I got to know which had been in fact announced some months back.

For those, who do not know about this (like me till this moment), this is the information. Project Crescent is a project currently on progress inside MSFT, which targets every kind of user, be it IT Developer or Corporate Power User or a No-Nonsense End-User) to visualize their Business Data; however they want it to be.

More information here: A Glimpse at Project Crescent.

VAIDY

Office 365 & SharePoint Online – TechEd 2011 Session

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Just attended the session, Office 365 & SharePoint Online, in TechEd 2011 Middle East. And it’s very exciting and interesting.

It’s a service offered by Microsoft for anyone who wants a Hassle-Free and Pay-As-You-Use experience. Happened to see a live demo of Office 365 and it’s terrific to say the least.

MSFT may not be the first one to work on this, but they have certainly got an edge since it’s built on their flagship Product, Microsoft Office, which is used by millions of people out there.

Very impressive. More information here: Microsoft Office 365 – Get In The Cloud.

VAIDY

Microsoft Tech-Ed Middle East 2011 – Starts Tomorrow

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This is my first Tech-Ed. And I am damn so excited about it, to say the least. So many terrific sessions, diversified topics across all Microsoft’s most happening Platforms and Technologies. And it’s all going to happen from tomorrow (well, it’s already started in fact from today, but that was Preliminary Sessions).

I will be attending these sessions from tomorrow 8th March 2011 to 10th March 2011.

For more information on this event, check this site: Microsoft Tech-Ed 2011 Middle East.

VAIDY